The Cleveland Cavaliers and their third-ranked offense travel to Toronto to take on the Raptors and their fourth-ranked defense in Game of the Eastern Conference Finals. Action gets underway at 8:30 pm ET on Friday, May 27 and will air on ESP.
The Raptors lost big to the Cavaliers 116-78 on Wednesday. DeMar DeRozan finished with 14 points to lead the team.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the league’s elite defenses. The Raptors rank fourth in the NBA in defensive efficiency (103.7), while the Cavaliers are second (102.9). Also, the Cavaliers’s third-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 109.9) will face off against the fourth-ranked defense of the Raptors (defensive efficiency of 103.7).
The Raptors enter the game with records of 66-35 Straight Up (SU) and 51-49-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 66-35 SU and 51-49-1 ATS against the Eastern Conference. If its opponents turn the ball over, Toronto has shown that it knows how to capitalize. They average 16.6 points off turnovers, making them the top team in the league for that category.
As for their opponent, Cleveland has a SU record of 68-27 and an ATS record of 45-48-2. Cleveland has records of 68-27 SU and 45-48-2 ATS against the East. The Cavaliers will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In their most recent 10 games, Cleveland’s scoring has dropped to 94.3 PPG, compared to 101.0 for the duration of the season. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, not many are better than the Cavaliers. They have one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the league at 1.81. Switching gears to Cleveland’s defense, the Cavaliers allow just 97.8 points per game, ranking them fourth in the league. The Cleveland defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing .449 shooting from the field to its opponents.
Cleveland beat Toronto in their most recent meeting this season, bringing its SU record in the past 10 games to 6-4. The teams have an even record ATS, 5-5.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle
Notes
“Toronto is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games “.
“Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto’s last 6 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto’s last 6 games when playing Cleveland”.
“Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland”.
“Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Toronto’s last 22 games when playing at home against Cleveland”.
Toronto ranks 21st in points per game with 101.0, while Cleveland ranks fourth in points allowed with an average of 97.8 given up.
On average, Toronto scores 103.8 points per home game (ranked 16th), while Cleveland allows 98.5 points per away game (ranked second).
The Cleveland Cavaliers won their last game by 38 points. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, the Toronto Raptors are 11-8. Cleveland is 18-3 in blowouts this season.
Cleveland has a tremendous 41-10 record this season when it gives up under 100 points in a game. Toronto is sitting at an even 20-20 when it puts up under 100.
The Cavaliers have a 27-17 record when they allow at least 100 points. The Raptors have also performed well when they register triple digits with a record of 46-15 in such contests.
The Cavaliers have the third-best offensive rating in the NBA (109.9). The Raptors are also in the top half of the league based on their defensive rating of 103.7 (ranked fourth).
The Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking ninth in the league with a FG% of 46.2%. When their opponents have a similar or higher FG%, the Toronto Raptors are 15-21.
On average, Toronto attempts 23.0 three pointers and Cleveland attempts 30.0 per game. Both teams have winning records when they have 25 or more three point attempts. The Raptors sit at 25-14 and the Cavaliers are 50-22.
The Toronto Raptors rank 23rd with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.50. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a higher A/TO (1.81), ranking fifth.
The Raptors rank 20th in rebounds per game with 42.9, while the Cavaliers rank 10th with 44.4 per game.
Toronto is ranked 22nd in defensive rebounds, while Cleveland ranks 12th in offensive rebounds.
On average, the Raptors force a turnover rate of 13.6%, ranked second in the NBA. When the Cavaliers turn over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 30-16 record.
